Anti-rattler for thill-couplings



(No Model.)

A. H. TERRY. ANTI-RATTLER FOR THILL COUPLINGS.

No. 446,036. Patented Feb. 10,1891.

Y/U' ss; I'll/6111237? U I oer I UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR II. TERRY, OF PATCI'IOGUE, NEW YORK.

ANTl-RATTLER FOR THlLL-COUPLINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,036, dated February 10, 1891. Application filed January 5, 1889. Serial No. 295,573. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. TERRY, of Iatchogue, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Anti'R-attling Devices for Thin-Couplings, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a device which shall effectually prevent rattling in thill-couplings and at the same time be easily applied to any coupling without removing the thills and without the use of clamps or other tools.

Spring anti-rattling devices heretofore invented require the removal of the thills in order to. insert them, and the use of so much force that their application without strong clamps or other tools is diflicult if, not impossible. By means of a lever, whichv constitutes a part of my device, this difficulty is entirely obviated.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 represents the spring. Fig. 2 represents the lever. Fig. 3 represents the adjustable fulcrum. Fig. 4c represents a horizontal section of the key, by means of which the fulcrum is locked to the clip. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 0 represents a simpler device for a ful crum, a front-view of it being shown applied and a view from above downward being shown underneath. Fig. 7 shows the whole device applied to the coupling before the lever forces the spring against the thill-iron. Fig. 8 shows the same in position after the lever is closed.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures denote the same parts.

Fig. 1 shows the spring S, which consists of a piece of steel wire bent at the point I) in the form of a loop and curved between the loop I) and the points a a to conform to the shape of the part of the thill-iron that itis to touch.

At the point a a it is again bent, forming two shoulders, which prevent the spring when in tension from slipping backward and upward from the thill-iron. Below these shoulders each end is bent into one or more coils, and the ends terminate in the eyes 9 g, into which are inserted the free ends ff of the lever L. (Shown in Fig. 2.) The spring is preferably made as described; but I may, if I wish, place between it and the thill-iron rubber or other material, and I may modify the shape of the spring to better adapt it to holding such material, and I may even make the part 5 rigid and depend entirely on a rubber for resiliency.

The lever, Fig. 2, consists of a strong wire L, bent at right angles at the points 6 e and again bent at right angles in such a way as to form two coils (Z 01', into which are inserted the ends .93 0c of Fig. 3. The ends 7L h are then bent outward to form the extremities f f, which articulate with the eyes (1 g of Fig. 1. v Fig. 3 represents a piece of wire F, bent at 7.: and 7.." at right angles, and again bent in the same manner at Z and Z to form the extremities a; on, which articulate with the eyes d d of Fig. 2 and form the fulcrum for the lever L. Between the points 7; and Z and between 71; and Z this wire is slightly curved antero-posteriorly. hen placed in position with the convexity backward, the points or and at are thrown nearer the thill-iron, and vice versa, thus modifying the tension of the spring or making it applicable to different sizes of clips.

Fig. 4. represents a horizontal section of a thin piece of iron called the key K, having slots m and a cut in it, and a groove 0 on both sides connecting the slots. This groove receives the part 7.; 7.3 of the fulcrum F.

Fig. 5 represents a vertical section of this key, showing the extremities q g on a different level from the central portion, so that when placed in position, if the central convexity be upward the fulcrum which it supports will be higher than when the convexity is downward, thus adapting it to different.

sized clips.

Fig. 6 represents a simpler device for the f ulcru m,whereby the use of the key is avoided. It is preferable in cases where it can be used, but has the disadvantage of not permitting adjustment, which is possible with the more complicated form just described. It consists of a piece of wire bent to fit over the projecting end of the clip-bar y. The ends are then bent at the points 9 g toward each other,'and then upward and. then outward.

At the points where the wire crosses itself the ends are bent backward and then outward, the ends a; a forming the fulcrum. The parts r and r impinge on the nut .2, underneath the clip-bar, and thus the fulcrumpoints 00 as are prevented from being pushed backward by the spring, while the part resting on top of the clip-bar prevents a downward dislocation.

Fig. 7 represents the device in position, but not in tension, using the firstdescribed fulcrum. All the parts except the key having been connected together, the wire F is inserted from below upward between the thill-iron and the clip N, and elevated until the key can be inserted under the top of the wire F. The slots are so made as to prevent the key from slipping endwise, while the groove 0, Fig. 4, in which the wire F fits, prevents itfrom slipping sidewise. The ends of the key rest on top of the forward projections of the clip, so that the key prevents the wire h from being displaced downward. The springS isnow turned upon its axis until the curved portion or loopis underneath and behind the thill-iron. The end of the lever L is now pulled downward and forward toward the thill-iron until the short arm of the lever (f and f, Fig. 2,) carries the eyes of the spring S into the position shown in Fig. 8, and until the long arm of the lever rests against the coils. The spring is thus closed in tension against the thill-iron. The backward tendency of the ends of the spring holds the lever securely locked in the new position,while the forward and upward tendency of the front portion of the spring presses firmly against the thill-iron. \Vhen the simpler fulcrum shown in Fig. (3 is used, the mechanism is the same; but the fulcrum-wire is then supported by the clip-bar y, Fig. 6, instead of by the key.

The adjustable fulcrumillustrated and described under Figs. 3, 4, and 5 is shown, but not claimed, the simpler fulcrum, Fig. 6, being preferred.

I am aware that the principle of the fulcrum and lever has been employed to prevent the motion of the thill-irons in the eyes; but in anti-rattling devices heretofore used it has been necessary to replace parts of the clipirons with a special device carrying a fixed fulcrum or to suspend the device from the clip-eyes, making the attachment and adj ustinent troublesome in either case. By usinga fulcrum fitted to engage over the clip-bar in connection with the peculiar shape of the spring and lever, I secure a device which is instantly and easily applied to thill-couplings in common use, and which is tightened or released by a simple motion of the lever.

l-Iaving described myinvention in an antirattling device for thin-couplings, consisting of a fulcrum and leverfor forcing aspring or rubber against a thill-iron, I claim 1. A fulcrum provided with a loop to engage over the forward end of the clip-bar for preventing downward displacement, and provided with the coils or projections r1", adapted to bear against the front of nut under said part of clip-bar for preventing backward displacement, and provided with the transverse ends or axes a: as for articulating with the le ver L.

2. In an anti-rattling device, substantially as described, the above-described fulcrum, in combination with the lever L, provided with the eyes (Z (l to articulate with the axes a: a" of the fulcrum, and provided with the transverse ends ff for articulation with a spring or rubber holder, substantially as described.

ARTHUR II. TERRY.

\Vitnes'se J NO. A. POTTER, JOHN M. PRICE. 

